Letter: Hog farming

Published: Monday, March 24, 2014 at 12:29 PM.

The recent letter from Jim Comer of the Coastal Carolina River Watch group contained blatant errors of fact and totally unsubstantiated accusations.

Comer refers to the foreign ownership of Smithfield Foods as “both shameful and undemocratic.” Since when did the lawful sale of an American company, especially one whose sale was overseen by congressional review, become “shameful and undemocratic”?

Comer also goes on to say that the environment is “being assaulted by the direct and calculated acts from corporate board rooms to the state house.” He offers no proof at all to support this outlandish charge.

Turning to the current tragedy of the PED virus that has struck about one-third of North Carolina’s swine farms, Comer doesn’t bother to mention the emotional and financial toll this horrific disease is taking on hundreds of responsible, productive farm families.

Instead, Comer spews that the virus is “infecting and killing millions of hogs” and that “the corpses are being disposed of without government oversight or left in ‘dead boxes’ to be scavenged or rot in the sun.”

First off, few adult hogs are being killed by the virus. PED tragically kills piglets, as Comer well knows, and it takes about 250 piglets to add up to the weight of a single sow. The proper disposal of dead piglets, animals whose deaths have been spread out over about eight months now, is being handled primarily through use of rendering plants throughout the state as well as on-farm incineration and composting. And yes, in some cases, burial.

The disposition is being overseen by the State Veterinarian’s office. As Comer presumably knows, the requirements for disposal of deceased domesticated animals are comprehensive, all detailed in N.C. General Statute 106-403 for anyone to see. The state’s hog farmers are doing their level best to meet those requirements, difficult as it must be.

The recent letter from Jim Comer of the Coastal Carolina River Watch group contained blatant errors of fact and totally unsubstantiated accusations.

Comer refers to the foreign ownership of Smithfield Foods as “both shameful and undemocratic.” Since when did the lawful sale of an American company, especially one whose sale was overseen by congressional review, become “shameful and undemocratic”?

Comer also goes on to say that the environment is “being assaulted by the direct and calculated acts from corporate board rooms to the state house.” He offers no proof at all to support this outlandish charge.

Turning to the current tragedy of the PED virus that has struck about one-third of North Carolina’s swine farms, Comer doesn’t bother to mention the emotional and financial toll this horrific disease is taking on hundreds of responsible, productive farm families.

Instead, Comer spews that the virus is “infecting and killing millions of hogs” and that “the corpses are being disposed of without government oversight or left in ‘dead boxes’ to be scavenged or rot in the sun.”

First off, few adult hogs are being killed by the virus. PED tragically kills piglets, as Comer well knows, and it takes about 250 piglets to add up to the weight of a single sow. The proper disposal of dead piglets, animals whose deaths have been spread out over about eight months now, is being handled primarily through use of rendering plants throughout the state as well as on-farm incineration and composting. And yes, in some cases, burial.

The disposition is being overseen by the State Veterinarian’s office. As Comer presumably knows, the requirements for disposal of deceased domesticated animals are comprehensive, all detailed in N.C. General Statute 106-403 for anyone to see. The state’s hog farmers are doing their level best to meet those requirements, difficult as it must be.

It especially saddens the state’s pork producers to read Comer’s linkage of hog lagoons and the battle against PED with the current controversy and fallout from Duke Energy’s coal ash issue. There is no fair comparison whatsoever.

Comer and his fellow activists at the Coastal Carolina River Watch are in a great position to assist in healthy economic growth and environmental protection across North Carolina. Unleashing biased accusations and spreading patently inaccurate information is hardly the best way to go about it.